TR1.729 Ănd crýde “Ăwáke!” fŭl wóndĕrlích ănd shárpĕ; TR1.730 “Whăt! Slómbrĕstów ăs ín ă lítărgíĕ? TR1.731 Ŏr ártŏw lík ăn ássĕ tó thĕ hárpĕ, TR1.732 Thăt hérĕth sówn whăn mén thĕ strýngĕs plýĕ, TR1.733 Bŭt ín hĭs mýnde ŏf thát nŏ mélŏdíĕ TR1.734 Măy sínkĕn hým tŏ gládĕn, fór thăt hé TR1.735 Sŏ dúl y̆s óf hĭs béstĭálĭté?”
Line Information
- Differences among the manuscripts and editions:
- English translations (Windeatt: 1998): and shouted: ‘Wake up!’ surprisingly loudly and sharply. ‘What! Are you sleeping as if in a sleeping sickness? Or are you like a donkey at the sound of a harp, that hears the sound when the strings are plucked, but no such melody from that can penetrate his mind to make him happy, because his animal nature makes him so dull-witted?’
- Japanese translations (Sasamoto: 2012): 「目を覚ましてください」ととてつもない鋭い声で叫んだ。「おーい、昏睡状態で眠っているのですか。それとも、竪琴を聴く驢馬みたいになっているのですか。驢馬というのは人間が弦をかき鳴らす時、その音は聞こえるが、驢馬の心にはどんなメロディも心地よく染みこまないのですよ。生来鈍い動物ですからね。」
- Chinese translations (Fang: 1956): 于是他大叫道，“醒来！怎么啦，你还在昏睡吗？否则你就是一只笨驴，听见琴弦拨动，可是那音调沉不进心坎，也引不起任何快感，难道你竟是那样拙性的一只畜生不成？”
Word Information
- Etymology: OE
- Addresser: Pandarus
- Addressee: Troilus
- Adjectives with which juxtaposed: N/A
- Counterpart in its source (Fil): N/A
- Noun(s) (NPs) modified: animals (a donkey, or in a figurative way to refer to Troilus)
- Attributive/ Predicative: predicative
Information in Previous Studies
- OED: Not quoted
- MED: Not quoted
- Commented in other previous works:
- Windeatt (2003: 35): dul: dull-witted
- Fisher (1989): N/A
- Benson (1987): N/A
- Davis et al. (1979): Not quoted
- Donaldson (1975): N/A
- Baugh (1963): N/A
Possible Definitions
dull-witted, stupid
Comments from the Editor
There are no similar scenes in Fil. However, there is a similar example of a donkey in Boece, 1. pr4, 1–4: “Felistow, quod sche, thise thynges, and entren thei aughte in thy corage? Artow like an asse to the harpe? Why wepistow, why spillestow teeris?…”